- About Us
- Issues
- Scorecards
Get Informed
- Join
- Learn
- Take Action
Get Involved
- Contact
- Foundation
- Privacy Policy
Resources
Contact FreedomWorks
111 K Street NE
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20002
- Toll Free 1.888.564.6273
- Local 202.783.3870
Judicial Reform Fifth Circuit Judges
WATCH NOWThe Supreme Court, Condiments, & Conspiracies | Pardon The Disruption
Judges for the United States Court of Appeals: 5th Circuit
Carl E. Stewart Chief Judge
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on January 27, 1994, to a new seat authorized by 104 Stat. 5089. Confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 1994, and received commission on May 9, 1994. Served as chief judge, 2012-present.
Education: Dillard University, B.A., 1971; Loyola University New Orleans School of Law, J.D., 1974
Professional Career: U.S. Army captain, JAG Corps, 1975-1977; Private practice, Shreveport, Louisiana, 1977-1978, 1983-1985; Staff attorney, Louisiana Attorney General's Office, 1978-1979; Assistant U.S. attorney, Western District of Louisiana, 1979-1983; Judge, Louisiana District Court, First Judicial District, 1985-1991; Judge, Louisiana Court of Appeal, Second Judicial Circuit, 1991-1994
Catharina Haynes
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on July 17, 2007, to a seat vacated by Harold R. DeMoss, Jr.. Confirmed by the Senate on April 10, 2008, and received commission on April 18, 2008.
Education: Florida Institute of Technology, B.S., 1983; Emory University School of Law, J.D., 1986
Professional Career: Private practice, Dallas, Texas, 1986-1998, 2007-2008; Judge, Dallas County [Texas] One Hundred and Ninety-First District Court, 1999-2006
E. Grady Jolly
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on July 1, 1982, to a seat vacated by James Plemon Coleman. Confirmed by the Senate on July 27, 1982, and received commission on July 30, 1982.
Education: University of Mississippi, B.A., 1959; University of Mississippi School of Law, LL.B., 1962
Professional Career: Trial attorney, National Labor Relations Board, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1962-1964; Assistant U.S. attorney, Northern District of Mississippi, 1964-1967; Trial attorney, Tax Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1967-1969; Private practice, Jackson, Mississippi, 1969-1982
Edith Brown Clement
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. Nominated by George H.W. Bush on October 1, 1991, to a seat vacated by Charles Schwartz, Jr.. Confirmed by the Senate on November 21, 1991, and received commission on November 25, 1991. Served as chief judge, 2001. Service terminated on November 27, 2001, due to appointment to another judicial position. Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on September 4, 2001, to a seat vacated by John M. Duhe, Jr.. Confirmed by the Senate on November 13, 2001, and received commission on November 26, 2001.
Education: University of Alabama, B.A., 1969; Tulane University Law School, J.D., 1972
Professional Career: Law clerk, Hon. Herbert W. Christenberry, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 1973-1975; Private practice, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1975-1991
Edith Hollan Jones
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on February 27, 1985, to a new seat authorized by 98 Stat. 333. Confirmed by the Senate on April 3, 1985, and received commission on April 4, 1985. Served as chief judge, 2006-2012.
Education: Cornell University, B.A., 1971; University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1974
Professional Career: Private practice, Houston, Texas, 1974-1985
Edward Charles Prado
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas. Nominated by Ronald Reagan on March 6, 1984, to a seat vacated by C. Frederick Shannon, Jr.. Confirmed by the Senate on March 30, 1984, and received commission on March 30, 1984. Service terminated on May 13, 2003, due to appointment to another judicial position. Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on February 6, 2003, to a seat vacated by Robert M. Parker. Confirmed by the Senate on May 1, 2003, and received commission on May 5, 2003.
Education: San Antonio College, A.A., 1967; University of Texas, B.A., 1969; University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1972
Professional Career: U.S. Army Reserve, 1972-1987; Assistant district attorney, Bexar County, Texas, 1972-1976; Assistant federal public defender, Western District of Texas, 1976-1980; Judge, Bexar County [Texas] One Hundred and Eighty-Seventh District Court, 1980; U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, 1981-1984
Gregg Jeffrey Costa
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas. Nominated by Barack Obama on September 8, 2011, to a seat vacated by John David Rainey. Confirmed by the Senate on April 26, 2012, and received commission on April 26, 2012. Service terminated on June 2, 2014, due to appointment to another judicial position. Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on January 6, 2014, to a seat vacated by Fortunado Pedro Benavides. Confirmed by the Senate on May 20, 2014, and received commission on June 2, 2014.
Education: Dartmouth College, B.A., 1994; University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1999
Professional Career: Law clerk, Hon. A. Raymond Randolph, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1999-2000; Bristow fellow, Office of the Solicitor General, U.S. Department of Justice, 2000-2001; Law clerk, Hon. William H. Rehnquist, Supreme Court of the United States, 2001-2002; Private practice, Houston, Texas, 2002-2005; Assistant U.S. attorney, Southern District of Texas, 2005-2012
James Earl Graves Jr.
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on January 5, 2011, to a seat vacated by Rhesa H. Barksdale. Confirmed by the Senate on February 14, 2011, and received commission on February 15, 2011.
Education: Millsaps College, B.A., 1975; Syracuse University College of Law, J.D., 1980; Syracuse University, M.P.A., 1981
Professional Career: Staff attorney, Central Mississippi Legal Services, Jackson, Mississippi, 1980-1983; Adjunct professor, Jackson State University, 1980-1997; Private practice, Jackson, Mississippi, 1983-1986; Special assistant attorney general, State of Mississippi, 1986-1990; Director, Division of Child Support Enforcement, Mississippi Department of Human Services, 1990- 1991; Judge, Mississippi Circuit Court, Seventh Judicial District, 1991-2001; Justice, Mississippi Supreme Court, 2001-2011; presiding justice, 2009-2011
James L. Dennis
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on January 31, 1995, to a seat vacated by Charles Clark. Confirmed by the Senate on September 28, 1995, and received commission on October 2, 1995.
Education: Louisiana Tech University, B.A., 1959; Louisiana State University Law School, J.D., 1962; University of Virginia School of Law, LL.M., 1984
Professional Career: U.S. Army, 1955-1957; Private practice, Monroe, Louisiana, 1962-1972; State representative, Louisiana, 1968-1972; Judge, Louisiana District Court, Fourth Judicial District, 1972-1974; Judge, Louisiana Court of Appeal, Second Judicial Circuit, 1974-1975; Associate justice, Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1975-1995
Jennifer Walker Elrod
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Nominated on March 29, 2007, to a seat vacated by Patrick E. Higginbotham. Confirmed by the Senate on October 4, 2007, and received commission on October 19, 2007.
Education: Baylor University, B.A., 1988; Harvard Law School, J.D., 1992
Professional Career: Law clerk, Hon. Sim Lake, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, 1992-1994; Private practice, Houston, Texas, 1994-2002; Adjunct faculty, University of Houston Law Center, 1995; Judge, Harris County [Texas] One Hundred and Ninetieth District Court, 2002-2007
Jerry Edwin Smith
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Nominated on June 2, 1987, to a new seat authorized by 98 Stat. 333. Confirmed by the Senate on December 19, 1987, and received commission on December 21, 1987.
Education: Yale University, B.A., 1969; Yale Law School, J.D., 1972
Professional Career: Law clerk, Hon. Halbert O. Woodward, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 1972-1973; Private practice, Houston, Texas, 1973-1984; Director, Harris County [Texas] Housing Authority, 1978-1980; Special assistant attorney general, State of Texas, 1981-1982; Chairman, Houston [Texas] Civil Service Commission, 1982-1984; City attorney, Houston, Texas, 1984-1987
Leslie Southwick
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Nominated on January 9, 2007, to a seat vacated by Charles W. Pickering, Sr. Confirmed by the Senate on October 24, 2007, and received commission on October 29, 2007.
Education: Rice University, B.A., 1972; University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1975
Professional Career: U.S. Army Reserve, 1993-1997; Mississippi National Guard, 1997-2008; Briefing attorney, Hon. John F. Onion, Jr., Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 1975-1976; Law clerk, Hon. Charles Clark, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1976-1977; Private practice, Jackson, Mississippi, 1977-1989; Adjunct professor, Mississippi College School of Law, 1985-1989, 1998-; Visiting professor, Mississippi College School of Law, 2007; Deputy assistant attorney general, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1989-1993; Judge, Mississippi Court of Appeals, 1995-2006; Candidate for Mississippi Supreme Court, 1996; U.S. Army staff judge advocate, 2005
Priscilla Richman Owen
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Nominated on February 14, 2005, to a seat vacated by William L. Garwood. Confirmed by the Senate on May 25, 2005, and received commission on June 3, 2005.
Education: Baylor University, B.A., 1975; Baylor University School of Law, J.D., 1977
Professional Career: Private practice, Houston, Texas, 1978-1994; Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, 1995-2005
Stephen Andrew Higginson
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Nominated on May 9, 2011, to a seat vacated by Jacques L. Wiener, Jr.. Confirmed by the Senate on October 31, 2011, and received commission on November 2, 2011.
Education: Harvard College, A.B., 1983; Yale Law School, J.D., 1987; University of Cambridge, M.Phil., 1992
Professional Career: Law clerk, Hon. Patricia Wald, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1987-1988; Law clerk, Hon. Byron White, Supreme Court of the United States, 1988-1989; Assistant U.S. attorney, District of Massachusetts, 1989-1993; Assistant U.S. attorney, Eastern District of Louisiana, 1993-2011; Associate professor, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, 2004-2011
W. Eugene Davis
Federal Judicial Service: Judge, U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana Nominated by Gerald Ford on August 5, 1976, to a seat vacated by Richard J. Putnam. Confirmed by the Senate on September 17, 1976, and received commission on September 21, 1976. Service terminated on December 9, 1983, due to appointment to another judicial position. Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Nominated on November 1, 1983, to a seat vacated by Robert Andrew Ainsworth, Jr.. Confirmed by the Senate on November 15, 1983, and received commission on November 16, 1983.
Education: Tulane University Law School, J.D., 1960
Professional Career: Private practice, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1960-1964; Private practice, New Iberia, Louisiana 1964-1976